Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-29
HOSTILE TO HENNEPIN.
Clinton's Memorial to Congress
About the Canal.


ceptive Means of Stabbing the Pro-
ject.
Clinton is town about forty miles up
the river. Tue people of that place have
acted Indifferent to the Hennepin
canal ior years; they have shown no dis
position TO enter into the fight attending
the passage of the bill through congress
favoring the project in fact they have if
anything, shown al enmlty to the canal
than spirit of frendliness. Since the
secretary of war sent his review of the
engineers report TO congress. which was
so exceedingly favorable to the Hennepin
canal. in every particular, an immense
amount of public interest in the canal
has been displayed in Clinton. Mass
meetings have been held. One was held
the forepsrt of the week, when memorial
to congress was prepared. 1t was drawn
up by B. B. Hart, civil engineer A
copy has been forwarded to each repre>
sentative and senator in congress. The
memor;a, starts out with rev;siop nf
,,o 49,, a.. D. r At.
Wv 'po'' vi 'i0 "1"'" '"'' vi '''0
Mariss dOsier, Watertown and Rock
river routes, aud it concludes with
these paragraphs. which contain more
~, .r,o. go
III 'he same space
A public economist would suggest
that, as 1t would cost the government at
least full million of dollars to make
the Rock Island ronte in all respects
equal to the Marais dc Osler with its
natural basin, II the government works
are inadequate to meet all the c1lgeDt
demands upon 1t, as a war measure, this
million OF dollars saved by the M&rais
de Osier line, could lie used TO enlarge
the capacity OF the arsenal and govern
ment works, and thus save subiecting
the large bulk OF the freight that would
seek this channel from the forty miles
extra distance over a dangerous ana I'M
certain water way.
The chief OF ordnance. the former
chlef OF engineers, General Newton. the
present chlef OF engineers, General
Daune, and the secretary OF war, Eudi
colt. have allowed their minds to be un>
settled upon the reports OF experts at
three different times, who have surveyed
the routes, and personally examined the
surroundings possessed OF all the cred
liable information TIE above named gen
ilemen could have, apparently, because
they were informed by interested parties,
while at the haraIs de Osier
there were no railroad facilities.
his has been gross mlsrep-
resentatlon Tor sinister purposes. Gin
ton is no farther from the Marais de
Osle-, than is the arsenal from the
terminus OF the Rock Island route, and
has better and more railroad facilities
than any other point on the Mississippi
river between st. Paul and st. Louis.
There has been shipped upon the rail-
roads centcring there. upwards of 10000
car loads of lumber, sash, doors and
blinds, manufactured at this point to the
west, southwest and northwest, during
the season of 1885; thousands of these
cars are required to be returned empty
to supply the demand for the shipment
of lumber. On account of the great
numbering interests at this point, no other
point on the Mississippi river could be
selected as practical terminus for
connecting water way between Lake
Michigan and the Mississippi; that
would harmonic SO well with the work
ing of the great railways of the west and
northwest. Let the terminus of this ca
nal be made at the Maris d'Osier and
in short time, the empty cars returned
there would be loaded with freight TO be
transhipped by water to Chicago and
the east. and both the railroads and pro
ducers would be The benehclarles by the
construction OF this canal. AT no other
point on the river between st. Paul and
st. Louis could there be less antagonis-
tic and more reciprocal relations, be-
tween canal and the railroads crossing
the Mississippi and terminating at Chi,
cago. The superior railway facilities,
anu the peculiar manufacturing interests
OF THIS LOCALITY, together with the fact
that II has been pronounced by so
many experts, that the Marlas dosIer
route is the shortest cheapest and best
route, ali things CONSIDERED and That
ronle lhe most laVofaDle 10 Inc larger
DuiK OF the business mat "ouiu seek
'his wafer way ai'ef cohs'ruCiion' are
unahs"eraoie arguments lor the TERMS
nation OF TINS canal AT TINS Marals
dosief. Inns couid DC s'fongly rem
iorceu win lne TACT that' nelns no
lafther rom Clinton 10 Marals osler
than from the arsenal TO The terminus
OF Inc hock island route lnere are
owned AT thal poiht NOT ehciunlng Ter
RES 10 steamers 10 81 moline, ROCK
Island and davenport, which could be
available IL necessary Tor the trans
portation OF barges 10 and from the
Marais dosler to and from the railroads
centerIng at clinton. IL would be nc